Something Different - German Short-haired Pointers

I am always trying to get a series of photographs of the process of creating a painting. I take a first photograph of the painting's beginning, and then just get into the painting, realizing after finishing that I forgot to take the interim photos. These portraits of two German Short Haired Pointers are a case in point. I could have taken another, earlier photograph to start with and the last two seem pretty close looking at them now. The variation in color between the last two photos is due to the photography, lighting, digital imaging etc.

This first photo is the finished painting of Courtney.




These three show some of the changes the painting goes through.

Signs

A lot of what and how I paint is a direct result of my years hand lettering and painting signs, boats, trucks and walls. To be painting outdoors in all types of weather, watching the world around me, whether out in the country or on a busy city street, is something that I came to love. And to mix colors and use bold and confindant brush strokes... more practical learning than any art school could provide.

Click on the images for a better view....

Signs - Carved and gilded, painted and sandblasted



Boat names - 23kt Gold leaf lettering on mahogany transoms



Gold leaf lettering and striping on an Antique Fire Truck

Quick Note - Paintings for sale online

Just a quick note to say that I have added paintings for sale on line at my ebay store

http://stores.ebay.com/sfilarsky-paintings
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Art Show in Aiken, Devon Horse Show again

AIKEN CENTER FOR THE ARTS
I delivered over seventy paintings to the Aiken Center for the Arts for my show there this month. It opened on Sept 2, and runs through the 27th. An Opening Reception will be held on Thursday, Sept 11 from 6 - 8.

South Boundary St, 18 x 24 oil











Included in the show is an 8 x 10 oil of the Harness Track at Aiken, with Jimmy Larente. A famous trainer, originally from Quebec. Theresa and I met Jimmy when we were down last spring. After talking for a while and listening to his stories, I realized that while he had been racing at Liberty Bell Racetrack in Philadelphia, he was living about a mile away from where I was growing up at that time in Huntingdon Valley, PA.


The painting at the bottom here is a commission of the "Old Times" Coach at the Devon Horse Show. This coach ran from London to Brighton and was famous for making the round trip in one day. I saw the cab of the coach as it is now undergoing restoration. It is small! Apparently, on nice days, the first class passengers road on top while the second class rode in the coach. On rainy days they switched positions...

Blowing Rock Paintings

Here are some paintings from this years Blowing Rock Show.



If you click on an image during the slide show, a new window will open with a larger image.

Now its time to get everything together for the upcoming one man show this September at the Aiken Center for the Arts. If you are in Aiken for the Fall Fling Horse Shows, take a trip downtown visit.

Blowing Rock 2008

Back in Blowing Rock! For two weeks!
Cool nights and beautiful days. It's hard to believe that I'm not on vacation. One of the rewards for all the work we have done to be able to paint for a living.
Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, cell phones and wireless internet are hard to get at the Horse Show. So I writing this in Boone, NC on our day off. Then off to the art supply store for more canvas and then I am heading out to paint around the area.

Lexington, KY

This past weekend, Theresa and I traveled through Lexington KY to be present for the debut of Vicky Moon's new book Equestrian Style. A beautifully created book shows art collections, homes and people inspired by the classic horse motif. Did I mention that we are in it? We had an interesting evening at Gallery B in downtown Lexington. Theresa was inside the gallery, schmoozing with the guests. She met Patricia Green, an "eighties something" as Vicky describes her, who business is creating the "silks" worn by the jockeys. I of course was outside, having a ball painting downtown Lexington and meeting all the interesting folks on the street. Later we had dinner with Vicky and her friend Phyllis who runs the library at the Keeneland racetrack. Many interesting stories about journalists and of schemes to make money in the thoroughbred world. After three years of planning and a year of production, Vicky has already begun work on her next book.

11 x 14 painting of a downtown Lexington store fromt.






Early the next morning I drove over to the Keeneland Race track to watch the morning works. I am always fascinated by the behind the scenes workings at the tracks and shows. I think that some interesting paintings of Keeneland will be coming soon.








Later,Theresa and I were given a tour of Cobra Farm by Marci Durocher, the manager of Gallery B. This was our first tour of a Kentucky thoroughbred farm and it unbelievable how clean it is. If it wasn't for the horses being there, it would be hard to believe you were on a horse farm. Cobra is a breeding farm and we were able to see where Seattle Slew was born. That's a photo of Theresa looking into the stall. One of her portrait client' s horse was a son of Seattle Slew. Interestingly, the schedule at Cobra farm runs from 7 am to 4:30 in the afternoon and unless they are foaling, working at the farm is like a 9 -5 job.


A visit to the Kentucky Horse Park that afternoon rounded off our time in Lexington. Breyerfest was underway that weekend. Needless to say, we went there. In the midst of all the Breyer horses for sales by both independent vendors and the Breyer company, were the horses that were the models for the latest models. I talked with a woman who was a sculptor working for Breyer creating the originals from which the molds were made. In the arena, we watched a demonstration by Icelandic horses. Those little guys can fly. And you can ride them and not spill your beer. The perfect horse?

Back home after what seems like a month but was only ten days and getting ready for two weeks at The Blowing Rock Charity Horse Show up in the mountains and painting in some cooler weather.